


Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)

by dip_the_pip



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Christmas Party, Family Fluff, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-10
Updated: 2020-01-10
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:22:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22194727
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dip_the_pip/pseuds/dip_the_pip
Summary: Meeting extended family for the first time, especially after a decade of being together already, is difficult. Cornelia helps Dan navigate the difficult party, which leads to Dan making a big decision when he finally gets to be alone with Phil.
Relationships: Cornelia Dahlgren/Martyn Lester, Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Comments: 8
Kudos: 110





	Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)

Dan has always liked the idea of being part of a real, big, happy family. And with the Lester's, he gets that. Him and Cornelia clicked instantly, mostly because they were the two outsiders, along with their love for music. He clicked with Martyn pretty quickly too, once again with their shared love of music and because they are both witty and quick. And Dan knows it's not entirely real, but they both have Big Brother Syndrome and have their fun teasing and poking fun at Phil until he, even at 32 years old, whines to his mum about them picking on him. Kath is a saint of a woman, and immediately filled Dan with the warmth and love he needed the first 18 years of life. Luckily, now, him and his own mum are at a much better place in their relationship, but Dan will always be grateful for everything Kathryn did for him. Nigel was a little harder to connect with, usually sitting in his recliner sipping at his over-sugared coffee, which he quickly realized is where Phil picked it up from. 

So, he had the big family he always needed. 

But that never, _ever_ could've prepared him for a big Christmas party with Nigel's side of the family, and Kath's side of the family. Sure, he's met a few of Phil's Auntie's or cousins in passing, but never enough time to form a connection. Roz was the only one that usually reached out to them, and Dan feels a bit guilty that they haven't gone to visit her. 

They're at a cheap plastic table, sitting in folding chairs while men and woman and children fill the room with laughter and chatter. Dan's overwhelmed, to say the least. Phil warned him, and tried to convince him to stay home, knowing it wasn't really Dan's environment. Dan had to do this, though. Dan needed to show Phil, or maybe just himself, that he could happily be out privately and publicly and attend family events with his boyfriend. He was invited every year of course, but since the family party usually fell a few days after Christmas, he had the excuse of having to go back to his mum's. This year, he said yes. 

It stings a bit, every time and older family member comes to their table and asks if Dan's a friend from Uni, or if he was the boyfriend of one of the girls sitting at their table. Phil was quick to answer though, before Dan could go to his default line of "I'm just the flatmate". He'd perk up, grab Dan's hand and call Dan his partner without a moment of hesitation. Dan wishes he had that confidence. 

Phil gets up from the table for a little while to walk around and mingle (and grab food. Dan knows it's just an excuse to nibble on the food before they're called to eat).

Dan sits there, chatting to a few of Phil's younger cousins, until they run off to play with their brothers and sisters and cousins they actually know. Eventually, it's just Dan at the table tucked away in the corner. He scans the room, trying to pick out his family. Kath and Nigel are with Roz and a few others that Dan can't place the names of, Cornelia is talking to someone's great-aunt, Martyn's chatting with some guys that Dan thinks are cousins. Maybe uncles? How do they keep track of all these people? 

He sinks a little lower into the seat, grabbing a roll from the basket in the middle of the table and picking at it. If it was his own family, he would've had his phone out by now to keep him entertained, but it felt rude doing it here. Everyone fits in here, and he felt like a nobody looking in on this perfect, big, happy family. 

He chews his bottom lip, trying to avoid letting his eyes get misty. He shouldn't be getting upset about this, he knows, but he can't help it. He doesn't fit in with 'the clan'. Maybe it's because everyone knows he's skipped these parties for the last decade, or maybe because people think he's new in Phil's life, and that they aren't going to last. He wouldn't blame them for thinking the latter, because he didn't think they were going to last this long. He loves Phil, of course, but deep, deep down, in a dark hole that he doesn't try to dig up anymore, he knows Phil could do so much better. Hearing that used to hurt Phil. He used to think that was just Dan trying to get rid of him, or that he was somehow doing something wrong. Eventually he realized, though, that it was just Dan's fear of losing him. Phil wanted Dan without a doubt, and vice versa. 

Beside him, the chair gets pulled out and someone plops down. He looks up from the bun he's nibbling on to Cornelia's warm smile. "Having fun?" She asks, scooting the chair over and tucking into his side a bit. 

He chuckles a little too sadly, and shrugs. "Just hard," He says softly.

"My first few were hard, too. Until there's a ring, a baby, or you've been to four or more, you sorta get brushed aside," 

"I just..." Dan sighs softly, letting his shoulders drop, "I feel guilty, I guess? And I hate that I constantly feel like I have to lie about our relationship,"

"I mean, Mart and I will never be able to fully know and understand what you two were put through, both separately and together, but it'll get easier. I mean, you're here, aren't you? That's already a step forward," 

Dan nods a little, letting his eyes scan the room again. He somehow manages to catch Phil's eyes, and Phil flashes him a smile. It helps. "How many more steps forward until we're both comfortable enough to hold a wedding with our families?" He asks, adding a bitter chuckle onto the end. 

Cornelia shrugs, and Dan feels her lay her head against his shoulder. "We don't plan on inviting people, if and when and a wedding happens. My parents, childhood best friend and her husband, Kath and Nigel, and you and Phil. That's all I want, and that's all we need. the 8 people that love us most in the world."

Dan feels a smile tug at the corner of his lips. He places a peck to the top of Cornelia's red curls, giggling to himself. "We love you guys, too. Do you guys really plan on getting married?"

Cornelia shrugs again and hums. "No. Just seems like a lot of pointless work to legally be attached to someone, innit?" She grabs her drink and takes a sip. 

"It's about like, love and shit too though, isn't it?"

"Wearing an expensive dress and suit and signing some papers aren't going to change how we feel for each other. He's my person, I don't need the governments approval to love him."

Dan nods a little bit, sipping from his own drink now, "He's my person too..."

Cornelia snorts, covering her mouth with her hand. "Well, we can't both share Mart, Mr. Howell."

Dan rolls his eyes fondly, giggling along with his sister-in-law. "I meant Phil,"

"I know, I know, I'm just buggin' you," She grins, wrapping her arm around his shoulders and giving him a squeeze. "For the longest time, Martyn didn't want us to get married until you and Phil could legally get married," She says in almost a whisper. "Then, when the legislation came into force in 2014, all four of us had sorta settled into our lives. I don't really think we need weddings."

"Superficial thing, I guess. I just want an excuse to go on a honeymoon," He smiles. 

Cornelia smiles, letting her gaze shift towards Martyn. "I mean, the pretty dress and flowers would be nice, but at the end of the day, we've both got our Lester's. And once you've come to a few more of these nightmares, you'll feel like you've always belonged here."

Dan sighs softly, nodding and humming quietly. They both look straight forward when they notice Phil walking back towards the table. Cornelia kisses Dan's cheek and quickly wipes away the smudge of lipstick. She offers Phil a little wave and a smile as she walks away from the table to give them some space, and makes her way across the room to Martyn. When Phil sits, they both watch as she walks up to Martyn and tucks herself into his side, just enjoying the presence of each other. 

Phil wraps his arm around Dan's shoulder and smiles, "Sorry I abandoned you. How are you feeling?" 

Dan takes a deep breath, "Just having a gay ol' time," He says with a hint of sarcasm. 

"Wanna get some fresh air?"

"It's fucking freezing, Phil, are you kidding me?"

Phil raises his eyebrows and shrugs, pressing a quick kiss to the corner of Dan's mouth. "You stay in here and breathe the stinky air, then," He says, getting up from the table with a grin before turning and walking towards the exit.

Dan only stays in his seat for a few seconds before jumping up and walking as quickly as he can across the party to make it to the door that leads to Phil leaning against the building.

"Knew you couldn't resist me," Phil teases, pushing himself off the wall and stepping towards Dan.

Dan reaches out between them and grabs both of Phil's hands in his. "Shut up, dumbass. Why do you gotta ruin everything?" He asks, but he's giggling along with Phil.

"And what I am ruining?"

"A proposal?"

Phil raises an eyebrow, giving Dan's hands a squeeze. "A proposal to go get food, or a real proposal?"

"Real proposal, then I'll go get you any food your heart desires."

"Okay,"

"Okay?" Dan asks, eyebrows furrowing together in confusion.

Phil grins, "Get on with your proposal so I can propose where you're gonna go get me food from,"

"You're a fucking twat, you know that?"

Phil smiles, softer and more sincere. "I love you, Dan. Does the question really feel like a requirement?"

"You wanted me to just decide we were going to get married?"

Phil tugs Dan's hands and pulls him closer, pressing their lips together. "Dan Howell, I would marry you in our bin room."

Dan snorts quietly, returning the kiss surrounded by the darkness of the night. "Maybe we shouldn't get married if you think I'd marry _you_ in the bin room,"

"Why?"

"It's disgusting!" Dan says, pulling away from the kiss with a grin on his lips. "It smells so bad,"

"Clearly you've never had to use the bathroom after one of your shits, huh?"

"My shits are flowery and magical," He says with an eyeroll. "But will you marry me? Somewhere preferably that isn't in our apartment building?"

Phil smiles and presses their lips together again, mumbling into the kiss. "I dunno, I've got a special connection to that bin room."

Dan huffs and pushes Phil away by his chest. Both men are giggling, reaching for each other again in the bitter cold. Phil shivers a little bit, pulling his personal heater closer.

"Of course, I'll marry you," He whispers, looking up into Dan's eyes. 

"I don't want anything big, though. Your parents, my mum and nan, my brother, and Martyn and Cornelia,"

Phil smiles, reaching up to run his thumb over the chillness of Dan's cheek. "Deal,"

**Author's Note:**

> Come say hi on tumblr @dip-the-pip :D


End file.
